Gin no Saji Episode 1 Anime Review

Delicious poop. If that’s how poop tastes like, we’ll end world hunger tomorrow.

Do you like food? I love food. It’s delicious and makes life worth living. I’m the type of person that lives to eat. That’s why I really enjoyed the manga Gin no Saji, or Silver Spoon. How did I find out about the manga? Well, the mangaka is the same author of Fullmetal Alchemist – Hiromu Arakawa. That’s why the character designs feature the same blocky face shape. Other similarities with FMA include how each character is drawn so uniquely that if you only look at their silhouette, you can tell them apart.

So, how does Gin no Saji differ from FMA? Well, for one thing, Gin no Saji has none of the magic and action fights that FMA had, at least, not in a physical sense. Instead, the characters are each engaged in their own inner and circumstantial struggles. Gin no Saji’s setting is in a farming school, where most of the characters are daughters and sons of farmers who are expected to inherit their family farms once they graduate. Enter our protagonist, Hachiken, who comes from a city’s prep school, and who moved to such a rural area to get away from his parents. The adventures he goes on and the ensuing comedy is reminiscent of FMA.

Growing up as a city slicker, I really enjoyed reading the manga because it shows how animals and other farm products are raised, and even discusses the benefits and costs of industrialisation. All mixed in with the struggles each individual character faces. I know, that sounds boring when I write it down on paper, but the mangaka manages to execute the manga in such a way that we aren’t stuffed with too much information at once. After reading or watching, it makes me feel like I’ve come away with a better understanding of the world and my food. On top of that, the utilisation of humour is also done effectively. Already, the first episode has made me laugh at some of the scenes the animators elaborated on, including (spoiler) a certain character getting blown away by the wind.

I’ve always wondered about farming since food is such a big part of our lives. The anime gives a colourful sneak peek into the various processes involved that doesn’t have to involve me traveling over oceans to visit a farm. It also helps that all the food they cook is delicious-looking, and I’m sure fresh farm produce tastes miles better than stuff from the grocery store. It kind of makes me envious of the characters. Besides making my mouth water, I’ve read in newspapers that the anime caused a boom in applicants for the farming schools in Japan. Who said anime never did any good?